


Ginger Tea

by pinkevilbob



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Autistic Caleb Widogast, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 16:59:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16957947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkevilbob/pseuds/pinkevilbob
Summary: Jester works at a tea shop and can't help but notice a certain redheaded customer.





	Ginger Tea

**Author's Note:**

> polymachinein suggested that I write a coffeeshop AU and well one thing led to another and I ended up writing a teashop AU which I hope isn't too far off.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, he came in at the same time just like clockwork. They had set a clock to the odd ginger once and it actually worked. Not that Molly or Jester would ever make fun of a customer, at least not to their face. But, it was weird how he came in exactly at 2:05 and left at 2:51. He even had it down to the second. 

That was not the only weird thing about him though. The ginger always ordered the same tea everyday and would count out the exact amount out loud when he paid for it. Jester was usually the one to serve him and the one time she was sick, he worried(they wondered if he was creeper at first, but he passed the Caduceus test. “Some people just don’t handle change,” Caduceus said, “I’ve got a sibling like that.”). Though to be fair, he was not the weirdest customer Clay Tea had(that ‘honor’ went to the guy who would record on his phone his memoirs and was obviously exaggerating his feats).

In some ways, the consistency of this customer made things easier. Jester knew exactly what to expect and sometimes would already have his tea started before he even came in. But it made things hard when they unexpectedly ran out of his usual tea, Caduceus’ custom variation of earl grey. The first time they were out she thought that he was going to have a panic attack, but her boss, Caduceus, managed to smooth things over and mixed a blend that was close to it. 

The ginger came to the counter at his exact time. “Halo, can I have the-”

“We’re out of it today, sorry,” Jester said. “Caduceus has mixed up some of his substitute for you though.”

The ginger frowned. “It’s not the same, but, ja, that should do. I’ll take a small pot of that and a cookie. How much will it be?” At this point he really didn’t need to ask and he even had the money out already, but it was all part of the ritual.

Jester told him the amount and he carefully counted it out. The man then sat at his usual table and pulled out a book. It was always a different book and Jester had given up trying to guess what he would read next. He read everything thing from sci-fi to historical non-fiction to children’s chapter books. That day he was reading smut and it looked pretty hard core.

He thanked Jester when she brought his tea to the table and started the next part of his ritual. It was always the same. First he’d put a sugar cube carefully at the bottom of the cup and then he’d pour in the tea leaving just enough room for some cream(Jester was pretty sure that he had it measured out in his mind how much cream to add). A spoon never came near his cup and he’d sip the first taste with his eyes closed. She’d never admit it out loud, but Jester kind of liked getting to see it up close. There was a calmness to it(that and the ginger might have looked handsome during that first sip).

The ginger was half way through pouring his cup when his phone went off. He froze and overfilled his tea cup. Jester hurried over to help clean it up while he answered his phone. His voice was steady and emotionless, but his hand shook like jello in an earthquake. 

“I’ll take care of it as soon as I come in.” He paused as the person on the other end said something. “Fine, I’ll be right over.” The ginger man sighed heavily and got up. “He couldn’t even wait 33 minutes. It could have waited. I’m sorry,” he said to Jester, “I’ve must be going. My boss needs me to come in early. Can I get a bag for my cookie?”

“Sure,” Jester said. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for him so she slipped an extra cookie in his bag. “I hope your day doesn’t suck too much.”

“Danke,” he said with a weak smile and left leaving his book behind him.

******

Going to the tea shop was the highlight of Caleb’s week. It was quiet in there, the tea was good, and the pretty waitress was kind to him. He could only afford to go there twice a week, but it was what he needed to keep going during the rough weeks. And lately, every week had been a rough week. Caleb had told Ikithon that he was unavailable on at 2 every Tuesday and Thursday, but that didn't stop him from calling on the last Thursday. Shaking his head, Caleb cleared his thoughts. There was no point in dwelling on what happened not when he was about to have his tea.

Another part of what he liked about the tea shop was that it had a consistent schedule and the same two employees were almost always there at 2, so Caleb didn't have to worry about dealing with somebody new. Sometimes the owner was there, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The owner had a calm energy to him. The blue haired waitress smiled when Caleb came in. "Hi! We've got your usual today."

Caleb smiled. It was a relief to know that he didn't have to have the substitute two visits in a row. "Good. Can I get a small pot of that and a cookie?"

The waitress nodded. "Of course. How did your day go last week?" she asked as she entered his order. Caleb blanched. He did not want to think about it. "That sucky? I hope today's better."

"Danke. Oh, you accidently gave me an extra cookie last week. I'd like to pay for it too."

The waitress waved at him dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It looked like you needed it."

"Oh." She was right he did need it, but he had hoped that it wasn’t so obvious that his day was miserable. Caleb counted out his total and went to his usual table.

His waitress brought his tea over. "Oh, I nearly forgot something. Just wait here. Oh, but you can start your tea." She hurried off in a whirl.

Caleb watched her go off into the back and then went back to his tea and set his sugar cube at the center of the cup. His phone sat on the table. Nott was supposed to text him and he didn't want to miss it.

"Here!" The waitress returned holding a book. It was his copy of The Courting of the Crick. "You forgot it last time."

"Oh. Thank you," he said. He had wondered where he had left it. Caleb sat there for a moment wondering if there was something more he should say when his phone rang. Ikithon's name came up on the screen. A moan escaped from Caleb's lips.

"Is that the same guy from last week?" the waitress asked. Caleb nodded. "Can you just ignore it or turn it off?"

Caleb shook his head. "He'd never let me do that." He took a deep breath and tried gather his nerve to answer it.

The waitress gave the phone a serious look, grabbed the tea pot, and carefully poured a drop of tea on the phone. "Oh no! I spilled tea on your phone! We'll have to turn it off and dry it in rice or it will be irreparably damaged!"

"It's just a drop on the screen protector," Caleb said a little confused. 

"But it's better to be safe than sorry and no one can blame you for turning it off to dry it right?" she said.

Caleb stared at her for a moment before he got it. "Oh, yes. I have to turn it off right away." He held down the power button until it turned off and it was the most satisfying feeling Caleb felt in a long time.

“We’ve got rice in the back for just this purpose.” The waitress leaned in and stage whispered loudly, “Molly keeps spilling on his phone when taking selfies.” The other waiter shot her a glare and mouthed something at her. “I’ll go get a bag for you,” she said.

“You don’t need to,” Caleb said. “You didn’t spill that much on it.”

“I didn’t, but you’ll need proof that you’re drying your phone,” the waitress said. “I’ll just be a moment.”

Caleb poured his tea over the sugar cube while he waited for her. She didn’t have to be so nice to him, but he really was grateful.

“Here you go,” she said present him with a plastic baggy full of rice.

“Danke.” He took the bag and put his phone in the rice. “My name’s Caleb.”

“I’m Jester!” It was a good name for her.

Caleb played with the spoon he wasn’t going to use. “I’d like to thank you properly. Can I get you a cup of tea? Wait, you probably get all you want here. Maybe we could get coffee? No, that’s supporting your competition.” He flustered as he tried to think of something he could do to thank her.

“Take her out to dinner!” the waiter pretended to shout.

“She likes Tal’Doreian food,” the owner said from the back.

Caleb nodded at these suggestions. “We could go to The Sun Tree if you’d like. They’re supposed to have good Whitestone cuisine. But don’t feel pressured.”

Jester shook her head with a smile. “No, it sounds fun. On Saturday?”

“Ja, we’ll meet there. 5:30?”

“Only boring old people eat that early. Make it 6:30 and wear something nice,” the waiter called out.

It would be crowded at that time on a Saturday, but Jester was smiling, so he agreed.

“I’ll be there!” Jester said excitedly and she started to leave. “Wait, I’m still serving you. How’s the tea today?”

Caleb poured his cream in (exactly three quarters of a tablespoon) and closed his eyes for his first sip. But, he couldn’t focus on the tea. Instead he was all too aware of the presence of the kind waitress next to him. “Lovely.”


End file.
